Suspended building construction



Oct. 9, 1945.l l R V'v MARSHALL 2,386,622

SUSPENDED BUILDINGl CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 16, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q R. w. MARSHALL SUSPENDED BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dc. 16, 1942 2 sheets-sheet V2 Patented Oct. 9, 1945 r SUSPENDED BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Roscoe W.- Marshal1,'ioiiwiok, Ga. Y

IApplication December Y16, 1 942, Serial No.. 469,241 (c1. '2o- 1) i l 7v claims.

Thisinvention relates tobuilding constructions.

' An object-of thisy invention is to provide an im- `proved building construction in Which the floors and Walls are in suspension, beingsuspended from trusselike supports, 'thus facilitating the pre- V'fabrication of the 'parts making up the building. Another object of lthis invention is to vprovide `a suspended building construction in whicheither the outergside walls, or certain of theinner diVid-.

ing walls form une support for-the buiniing, permitting wide variations inthe construction of the a foundation so'lthat'in certa-in instances the foundation may be substantially smaller than the i'lrst 'iioon and the first iionr' may'1 be smaller in `size than the secondv floor.

base III maybe constructed out ofconcrete, bricks or other suitable material `and the footing l I may if desired be disposed slightly below the level or surface of the ground with theuprightrneinbers I2 and I3 rising above the level of the ground;

A building framew structure generally designated as I4 is mounted on the `upright footing members I 2 andIS and comprise a pair of side framemem; bers i5 and I6 which are secured together attheir upper ends by a plurality of cross tie members I'I. The side members I5 and I 'are'ot likecon- A further,olzijectofthisy invention is to Vprovide u ya suspendedbuilding construction vformed of' pairs `lof upwardly divergentsupports secured Vat .their upper ends to ariupper horizontalconnecting beam, the upper Hoor being suspended from hangvers carried bythe upper connecting beam, andthe lower orA first oor being suspended from hangers carried by the second floor.

The invention consists of the novel construction, lcombinationjand arrangement of partsas will be more` specifically referred to and illustrated in the yaccompanying drawings wherein are kshown embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understoodthat modifications, variations and changes'may be resorted to which fall within the scope ofthe invention In the drawng's'zj'u Fig-ureil is a detail side elevation of a skeleton vframe for a building constructed Aaccording to an embodiment of this invention as claimed.

' Figure 2`is a' detail end elevation of the frame,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective fview of 'one'of the upper-'corners offthe frame,V

' Figure 4'is 'a fragme'ntary side elevation partly irl/ section of a portion of the frame,

' -Ei'guref5isa'fragmentary perspective view of f a modified 'form ofthisirivention Figure 6 is a detail side elevation on a reduced A scale of a skeleton frame showing a's'lightvariation `in the arrangement of the 'suspendedfloora and o c Figure '7 is fa.' detail side velevation on'a reduced scalerof another variation in the use of thisinvention.

. Referring to the drawings and first to Figures 1k to 4-inlusive,the numeral Il] designates 'generally a base or foundation structure which includesfan elongated footing .I I which has rising therefrom' at spaced pointsfbetween the opposite Y ends thereof upright rn'ember's'- I2 and I3. The

struction and each includes apair of upwardly divergent supporting members I8 and I9' whi ch Yareconnected together at their lowerends vby an inverted truncatedV-shaped tiemernber'z. `The supporting membersfland' l9 are of like conf struction and each includes a pairofspaced apart parallel bea'njlsy 2I and .22.; 'I'he beams v2 I,va 1 f1d 2 2 at their uppenends are secured by fastening meinbers 23 to a horizontally disposed beam 2 4.A

A secondr pair of upwardlycdivergent support'- ine members .25 and 26. extend upwardly from the footingv member -I3 being connected attheir lower convergent endswto `an inverted truncated 'V shaped tie member' ,211 1 The. supporting. member. 25 is. an innersuppoltng .member and the. sur?? porting member I 9 is also anY inner supporting member, vthe two inner supportingmembers 9 and 25 intersecting each otherA as at Q28y and at the points of intersection of the beams compi-ieg; ing the supporting members I9 `and 25, the beams may be rabbettedoutso as .to r ed 1 1c,ey the space Occupied by theibeems at their, Peintsjof intere section.Y The upper vbea.m orheaderjzll ofreach side member has secured thereto a plurality' of horizontally disposed, transversely extending tie beams 29, 30,' 3| and 32. 'Ihe beams 3ll and 3,| are inner beams and are secured by fastening means 33 in depending', relation` to the horizontal longitudinal lbeam, Y2li. The transverse ties or beams29 andA 321are outer endV b eamsandfare adapted to be ,securedpbeneathl the horizontal /longitudinal v`bea 1n 24- by means of a collar or 35 Vconstitut'esa 'hangerand isprovided at its upper end With *a head 36 vwhich is countersunk in the upper side of the horizontalup'per member 24 l z l n intermediate 'horizontal'r longitudinal beam 31 is dependinglyl carried by the lowerends of the hanger rods 35,y being provided with openings 38 throughgwhich the rods-35 are` adapted to loosely engage.A A plurality of transversely extending horizontal floor supportingI beams 39,

40, 4|, 42 `and 43 are secured beneath the horizontal longitudinal beam 31, the beams 39 and 43 being outer end beams and provided with openmediate or inner transverse beams, and in thel present instance, the beam 4 L is the middle beam' and is secured in suspended relation to the longitudinal beam 31 by means of a fasteningmem-` ber 46. A depending hanger rod-41 has an upper end 4B which is countersunk in the upper side of the longitudinal beam 31 and extends'down- `wardly through the transverse door supporting beam 40. A secondfdepending hanger rod 49 has an upper head 50 which is also. countersunk in theupper side of, the. horizontal beam 31. The rod 4.9 extends through the transverse floor s upporting.v beam. 42. and. clamping collars or other suitable fastening means may be. secured tothe hanger rods 41 and 4-9 below the beams 40 and y432 to hold these beams against downward movement.

A` lower first floor supporting beam lis dependingly carried by the lower ends of the hanger rods 41 and 49 being. disposed in the desired upwardly spacedr relation to the ground' surface by holdingnuts 5-2 andi 53 which are threaded on the lower ends. of the rods, 41 and 49. The

beam .5| extends between the pairs of upward- 1y extending members 2| and 22 forming the upwardly divergent supportingstructure.

The lower longitudinal beam 5I has secured to the lower side. thereof apair of transversely disposed iioor. supporting beams 54. and 55.l and these beamsmay'rest. on. their lower edges on the upper sidesf off they-shaped connecting. membersL 22 and 21.., ThereV may be as many of these transverse `floor supporting beams, ortie members 54 andf 55 asl may be desired and therealso may be as many of the upper transverseoor supporting members asr may be desired, the number varying in; proportion to the lengths of. the; beams. 3.1 and 5|.

Itwill be. noted. from .FigureV l that the lower longitudinal beam 5|- is substantially shorter in .lengththanthe upper longitudinal beams 24' and *31. However, the lengthofY the lower horizontal beam 5| may bevaried depending. uponthe character of the building. which is to beA formed around thisiskeleton framework. p. 4

The vframe structure showt-iinv Figures 1` to 4 inclusive is constructed with Ythe outer side walls forming the suspension means whereas in Figure 5 the suspension. means maybe a pair of. inner .dividing or partition walls. In this form of the invention the upper ends of Athe upwardly divergent supporting' members Ztaa-nd 22a are secured on opposite sidesot the transversel floor supporting beams30a and the supporting. members'zla and22' extendtransversely of the building. The upper horizontal supporting member 24erI may be secured in any suitable manner'to the transverse" floor supporting member 30a; A pair of depending han-ger rods 35a and 35oA are dependingly carried by the upper horizontal longihorizontal longitudinal beam structure shown in Figure 1 at 31.

The rods 35a and 35h have mounted thereon longitudinal splines or stringers 56 which constitute horizontal studs and inner and outer walls 51 and 58 may be secured to the stringers or studs 56. The construction shown in Figure 5 is identical in every respect to the structure shown in Figure 1 with the exception that the supporting members 2|al and 22a'. extend transversely across the building, are secured at their upper ends to the transverse members 30a, and these transverse members may be spaced apart the desired distancerin order to provide for the proper support for the longitudinal horizontal members 24, 31 and 5|.

In. Figure 6 there, is disclosed a slight variation in the use of this suspension means, the variation being principally in the extension of the inner supporting members |90 and 2.5c which extend upwardly above the upper horizontal longitudinal beam 24e and provide opposite side supports for a suitable roof 59..

In Figure. '7 there is also disclosed a further variation in the use of this suspension frame structure, wherein the suspension meansv is used for a. single floor building. In this latter form the upwardly divergent supporting members Md are shorter in length than shown in Figure l and additional inner supporting hangers dvmay be used to suspend the first floor longitudinal beam 5|d.

A skeleton frame structure constructed according to this invention may be pre-fabricated, the side wall supporting frames being initially constructed in a horizontal position and then raised to an upright position on the supporting base lil.

` The upright side walls may then be tied together 35a and 35h may havesecured thereto the. same at their upper ends by the tie members 30 and 3| and the tie members 29 and 32. The second floor supporting beams 39, 40, 4|, 42 and 43 may be secured to the lower ends of the hangers 35 with the. longitudinal beam 31 resting on the upper edges of the transverse. beams 39 to 43 inclusive. The lower horizontal longitudinal beam 5| may then be. suspended by securing the hanger rods 41 and 49v to the intermediate longitudinal beam 3.1 and the transverse floor supporting members 54 and 55 may then be secured to the lower edges of the side frame members 5|. The skeleton frame structure may be enclosed by means of panels: formed as shownin Figure 5 of inner and outer panel members which aresecured together in spaced apart relation so as to provide the desired air insulating space between the inner and outer walls` Y The improved suspension means hereinbetore described will provide for the elimination of a considerable amount.- of material, such as lumber or the like now used in the construction of a building, particularly the buildings of the fabricated ype. f What. I claim is:

1. A building construction comprising foundation means, pairs of upwardly divergent supporting members, a pair of upper horizontally disposed members secured to the divergent ends of supporting members, a second pair of horizontal members below said first pair of horizontal members, cross ties between said upper and second pair of horizontal members, and means dependingly supporting said second pair of horizontal members from said upper horizontal members;

2. A skeleton building frame construction comprising spaced apart wall supports and floor supporting ties connecting said supports together,

A each support comprising at least two pairs of V- shaped members, an upper horizontal beam secured to the upper divergent ends of said `memtwoof said supports, hanger rods depending from said beams, a pair of lower beams carried by said hanger rods, and floor supporting members carried by said lower beams.

4, A skeleton building frame construction comprising opposed pairs of spaced apart wall supports, each support comprising a V-shaped member, the adjacent inner sides of each member beingy disposed in crossed relation, means securing the inner sides of said members together at their crossing points, a horizontal upper longitudinal beamfor and ysecured to the divergent ends of each pair of supports, horizontal upper transverse tie members secured to and extending between said upper beams, a plurality of hanger rods depending from' said upper longitudinal beams, and means fixed to said rods for dependingly supporting a oor therefrom'.

5. A skeleton building frame construction comprising opposed pairs of spaced apart wall supports, each support comprising a V-shaped member, the adjacent inner sides of each member being disposed in crossed relation, means securing the inner sides of said members together at their crossing points, a horizontal upper longitudinal .beam for and secured to the divergentends of each pair of supports, horizontal upper transverse tie members secured to and extending between said upper beams, a plurality of hanger rods depending from said upper longitudinal beams, intermediate longitudinal beams fixed to said rods, intermediate transverse tie members xed to said intermediate beams, lower hanger rods depending from said intermediate beams, lower longitudinal beams carried by said lower hanger rods, and lower transverse tie members fixed to said lower beams. Y

bers, a lower horizontal beam, and depending 6. VA skeleton building frame construction comprising opposed pairs of spaced apart wall supports, each support comprising a V-shaped member, the adjacent inner sides of each member being disosed in crossed relation, meanssecuring the inner sides of said members together at their crossing points, a horizontal upper'longitudinal beam for and secured to the divergent ends of each pair of supports, horizontal upper transverse tie members secured to and extending bes tween said upper beams, a plurality of hanger rods depending from said upper longitudinal beams, intermediate longitudinal beams fixed to said rods, intermediate transverse tie members xed to said intermediate beams, lower hanger .rods depending from said intermediate beams,

lower longitudinal beams carried by said lower hanger rods, and lower transverse tie members fixed to said lower beams, said lower longitudinal beams being substantially shorter in length than said upper and intermediate longitudinal beams.

7. A foundation structure including an elongated footing, uprights rising therefrom at certain points between the opposite ends thereof, a

building frame mounted on the upright footing members comprising a pair of side frame members secured together at their upper ends by a plurality of cross tie members, said side members being of like formation and each including a pair of upwardly divergent supporting members connected together at their lower ends by a truncated V'shaped tie member, said supporting members being of likeconstruction and including a pair of spaced apart parallel beams, fastening members, and a horizontally disposed upper beam to which said parallel beams are secured, a second pair-of upwardly divergent Y supporting members extending upwardly from the footing member and being connected at their lower convergent ends to a V-shaped tie member, the two supporting members intersecting each other, and means whereby the space occupied by said beams may be reduced, and a plurality of horizontally disposed transverse extending tie beams secured to the upper beam, an intermediate longitudinal beam, hanger rods dependingly carried by said 

